ReForMit

Anamaghi, S.; Behboudian, M.; Emami-Skardi, M. J.; Kåresdotter, E.; Ferreira, C. S. S.; Destouni, G.; Wang-Erlandsson, L.; Tengberg, A.; Stenzel, F.; Fetzer, I.; Mahjouri, N.; Kerachian, R. & Kalantari, Z.
Research efforts and gaps in the assessment of forest system resilience: A scoping review
Ambio, 2025: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02243-4

This study examines how seven core resilience principles are used to assess the resilience of forests to both natural and human disturbances, drawing on concepts from engineering, ecology, and social–ecological research. A systematic search of the Web of Science database identified 1,828 studies, of which 330 met the selection criteria. The review found that the principle of diversity, under “diversity and redundancy,” was the most frequently applied, appearing in half of the studies. Many of these studies assessed resilience in relation to water-related disturbances, with drought and water scarcity highlighted as major threats to forest systems. Water-regulating ecosystem services, such as flood regulation and maintaining hydrological balance, were also frequently considered. In contrast, principles related to social and governance aspects were much less common: learning and experimentation appeared in only 7% of studies, participation in 11%, and polycentric governance in 9%. Importantly, none of the reviewed studies applied all seven principles together, and water-related aspects were often treated narrowly, with gaps in quantifying hydrological feedbacks, slow variables, and governance dimensions of water management. These results point to a major gap in current research and highlight the need for more comprehensive approaches. Incorporating all seven principles, along with greater attention to forest community dynamics, hydrological processes, and social factors, will be essential for strengthening the long-term resilience and sustainability of forest systems.